Song Joong Ki Confirmed for Kim Eun Sook’s Descendants of the Sun

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I always go into Kim Eun Sook-penned dramas with optimism. She’s written my favorite K-drama of all time so how can I begrudge her a few misses here and there. Now that the male lead is basically confirmed (99.9% at least) for her upcoming drama Descendants of the Sun, the optimism level has skyrocketed for me and is parked somewhere in the vicinity of the star called euphoria. Song Joong Ki is going to be Kim Eun Sook’s next leading man, y’all! That’s a position that virtually guarantees ratings and/or buzz, though it also comes with the high probability of playing a grabby asshole off the bat who needs to learn to love and mellow out.

Song Joong Ki has reportedly met in person with screenwriter Kim Eun Sook and after the lengthy discussion of the drama and role, he accepted the offer from her and is a virtual lock to star as the leading man. The production company and his agency are playing it safe by saying the final final confirmation will come only after Song Joong Ki is discharged from the army this May, but the reality is that he’s basically doing it barring some unforeseen last minute hiccup. This is one K-drama production that had to lock in the leads early (and I expect the female lead to be signed soon as well) because the story reportedly has over 80% overseas location shoots and will be fully pre-produced with filming taking over this entire summer with an early fall premiere date on KBS Wed-Thurs.

Much has been said about Song Joong Ki considering this drama role which requires him to go from one real army service to playing in a fake one. It’s not only going in with the most substantive immersion training behind him, it also makes a nice transition back to the acting world after being a real life soldier for nearly two years. Kim Eun Sook dramas are always sprawling, with big casts and extremely complicated character charts, and this one is no exception. The character chart above is a leaked draft that shows the four main leads and some of the immediate surrounding characters.

The male lead is a commander in the UN peacekeeping forces (34 years old) while the female lead is a doctor (33 years old) from Doctors Without Borders who works with the peacekeepers. The second male lead is a lieutenant (35 years old) reporting to the male lead while the second female lead is an army doctor (32 years old), and the two are former lovers turned exes. The second female lead is the male lead’s hoobae in the army and her father is a general. The two female leads are antagonistic towards each other. The central romance is described as starting in dislike and bickering but growing to love while working in dangerous situations to help those in need in conflict zones. All I can say is – YESSSSSS to Song Koong Ki and please please please give him a leading lady I like!

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Song Joong Ki Confirmed for Kim Eun Sook’s Descendants of the Sun — 79 Comments

  4. I think kang so ra have the vibe to play the first female lead, she looks soft yet tough.. but i guess it’s not possible since she’s already attached (high chances) to jejudo gatsby.. hmm.. ya, moon goon young or yoon eun hye is great too.. if any of these pairs is happening it’s really a double treat for me…… for having joong ki back on my small screen n for having great/my fave as the co-star….

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  5. So who do you think it’s going to be? I hope they’ll get someone who makes him look like the oppa he’s supposed to be.

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    • Honestly, if they didn’t just do Nice Guy together, I would put my bet on KBS darling Moon Chae Won, especially since her agency MSTeam is co-producing DotS. But the odds seem low they would reunite so quickly even if it would be a dream come true for me.

      With SJK cast, I would not bet on A-list movie actresses like Son Ye Jin, Kim Tae Hee, Ha Ji Won, Shin Min Ah, or Im Soo Jung. Feel like they would all make Joong Ki look like their dongsaeng which is not what this drama pairing is supposed to be. He’s older and in charge, so they need to find an actress that isn’t going to give off an older noona vibe.

      She has is playing a doctor, so has to be believable. Imagine someone like Suzy and I would die laughing even before the first still was released.

      Any of these could do: Moon Chae Won, Yoon Eun Hye, Moon Geun Young

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      • since when KTH is A-list movie actress? she is A-list, yes for all her CFs, but not a movie A-lister

      • Is Suzy the new Gu Hye Sun to you? Can’t wait for the increasingly bitter news about her from you while you try to pretend like your not jealous.

      • The Secret couple reunited in Kill Me Heal Me shortly after, so I wouldn’t dismiss the idea just yet. And it has been 3 years since Nice Guy.

      • I hope Yoon Eun Hye or Moon Chae Won is a female cast but please no idols.

      • @ Ugh

        If you can get your knickers unknotted first then you should be able to see that (1) setting aside any debate about whether Suzy is a good actress or even a big enough acting name to potentially land this role (2) the entire point is that she at 20 years old would be ridiculous in this role of a 33 year old Doctors Without Borders physician. If you can’t even see that then good luck with your drama viewing experience. Shit, I would even say Dakota Fanning would make me die laughing in this role transplanted to a Hollywood production unless she was a Doogie Howser-esque genius doctor since the age of 13.

      • Kim Tae Hee is not an A-list movie actress. All of her movies were the biggest flops.

      • I hope its Moon Geun Young, it has been ages since she did the hot mess that was goddess of fire jungyi and I really wish she would come back to acting soon. Also she has the looks for the role it that she can make it believable that she is in early 30s while still allowing JoongKi to look like an oppa. Joongki has a really baby face so if they want to make it believable that he is older and in charge they really can’t choose an actress that looks older than him even if she makes a believable doctor but at the same time that can choose an actress that looks to young to be a doctor.

      • Give him Park Shin Hye, pleaseee…..or may be Song Ji Hyo so he can be reunited with his Running Man noona.

      • It`s KBS ,they are gonna cast some of their faves. Maybe Yoona? I don`t know if she finished that Chinese drama but she would look good with Song Joong Ki and would not make him look too young.

      • Can’t wait. Thanks for the great news! What are your thoughts on Choi Sooyoung? from “Spring Days” ?

  6. Yay!!!! This is awesome. KES dramas have never failed in the ratings (at least not recently)… this is a guaranteed winner for him, especially as a comeback. 🙂 Even with a horrible female lead (which I think KES has pull so she’ll get someone good so I don’t think we have to worry?), I still think this will be good. Her dramas aren’t really focused on the females anyways.

    I personally was one of the few who didn’t love Nice Guy, but I really liked him in SSKS and his short stint in TWDRs. So definitely looking to this. Fighting!

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  7. Secret garden was the only drama I liked from Kim Eun Sook, but since Song Joong Ki is going to be the male lead here, I suppose I’ll have to watch.

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  9. Why isn’t anyone nervous about this announcement? 80% shot overseas? Where? The only place I know UN peacekeepers are currently is in middle east and Africa.. are they going to film there? Do they have that much budget? Will the find good international actors? OK forget good, passably decent? Heirs had horribly bad international actors.

    If it works out well and good, but this just sounds a bit too grand for its own good.

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    • Africa may not be selected for film location due to the Ebola virus epidemic, which I don’t know if it has already been contained…The 80% overseas filming (especially if the locations are of not so comfortable conditions) may deter some of our favorite and popular actors/actresses from signing on to this project. Oh well, we’ll just have to stay tune…

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      • Ebola is in west Africa. Africa as the continent is huge, and many parts/countries do not have Ebola problem. They can do just fine if the filming is in South Africa or Ethiopia. Beside Africa, UN peacekeeping missions are working in some parts of Asia such as India

      • Africa is a continent NOT a country. So some countries on the continent of Africa were effected by Ebola, BUT not Africa itself. 99.9% of the continent never saw 1 case of Ebola.

        The more you know public announcement of the day.

    • Maybe they go there to fight Ebola! Also Ebola is in West Africa. Google tells me current Korean troops are in Lebanon (Asia) and South Sudan (East Africa).
      I don’t mind if they film in Africa, it is a beautiful continent and they could go to the safer locations. I just want them to give this enough thought, don’t want a repeat of HJM fiasco which has 2x Hyun Bin and then nothing else.
      PS: Is he going to be a chaebol army captain? As unlikeable as Kim Tan?

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    • UN peacekeepers also work in several countries in Europe like Kosovo, Cyprus, even in India&Pakistan (close proximity to Korea). But I think for this drama, they’ll choose African country or Middle East.
      If they work with real UN peacekeeping force I believe they’ll be safe during the entire production.

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      • I can’t imagine they’d choose Middle East since ISIS random abduction is rampant over there.

  10. Thanks Ms. Koala for this news…I wish Ms. Kim Eun Sook will select both Yoon Eun-Hye and Moon Geun Young for the 2 female lead roles. It will be awesome to watch these 2 favorite of mine, to play characters that are antagonistic with each other. But if either of them don’t work out, how about Han Hyo-Joo or Park Ha Sun? Looking forward to reading the updates on this casting.

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  11. Yes, yes and YES!!! Please let it be Moon Chae Won as the leading lady. But if the production screws up and find someone like Jin SeYeon, seriously, k-drama fans will have a bloody fit.

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  12. I hear overseas and all my mind fears is a bunch of people speaking horrendous English with foreign cast being people they just grabbed off the street.

    Someone please erasure me. Please.

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  13. Will Ha Ji Won look odd with Song Joon Ki?
    If HJW works with JCW & SSG then Joon Ki should be fine.
    Like to see HJW return to dramaland.

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    • OMG! when i heard of the character, Ha Ji Won pops up in my mind. but i also had the same question, would she look good with Song Joongki? somehow i want this to happen. (:

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    • I would like to see HJW back on the small screen as much as the next person. But obviously she’s not going to accept a job where’s she’s going to play second fiddle to a younger and much, much less accomplished actor.

      To be honest, I think it’s going to be a while before we see her in a Korean tv show again.

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  15. Actually I read PMY’s interview and she said she’ll be filming a new project in July. The time should coincides with DOS right?
    Now I’m thinking if PMY will be the female lead?
    She’s not my first choice ofc.. My first choices would be YEH, MCW, MGY, JRW. But seeing her acting improvement, maybe PMY not too bad a choice.

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  16. I can’t remember why I should be excited about this one since I have disliked some of KES’s dramas. I can’t wait to see SJK, and if the drama gods love us, MCW, of course I am.

    Is it that it is a good director? Otherwise, my stomach hurts thinking about her shows.

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  21. DC Gall is all talking about Kim Tae Hee as the rumored female lead. Totally not what I would pick, but it would be hilarious that she romanced Yoo Ah In and then moved on to Song Joong Ki. XD If it turns out to be true, of course.

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    • No way!!! Is she really getting considered? Either way, I don’t think she’d be a liability to the production. I guess we will all find out soon enough.

      Anyhow, yes I would chuckle at the irony.

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    • I liked her enough in Jung Ok Jung and My Princess. KES dramas don’t exactly have the best female roles anyways so…lol I just want the actress to be likeable and decent. I don’t think I have finished a KES drama yet though…maybe this will be the first one since SONG. JOONG. KI.

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    • The verbal diarrhea on that site is like no other – lots of dedicated fans and very little actual information. Heck, it may very well be Kim Tae Hee but there’s no way I would buy that pairing as outlined in the synopsis.

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  22. Yes, Joonk Ki is back. words cannot describe how big of a crush i have on the guy (the first pic in the article already had me hyperventilating). I’m also in the Joonk Ki-Chae Won love train, but it’s highly unlikely. very few actresses (good ones anyway) can actually pull off looking younger than Joon Ki. I hope it’s Moon Geun Young. As long as it’s not some ajummha with crazy hair. Joonki Ki fighting! Can’t wait for May!!

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  25. I hope the dialogue gonna be good
    I like the premise and I hope i’s not so childish
    and for the female lead

    just get someone who can act with him and made them shine
    I know people already have some set of preference on the female,but I like to discover more new face and talent-wise if there is some

    song jong ki as a man is good to hear

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    • New face.. how about Seo Ji Hye who was prosecutor Choi Yeo Jin in Punch? Damn that drama was good and so was its cast.

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  27. SJK does not even look 34. He looks younger than his real age, does it mean the actress needs to be younger like 26-28?

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  30. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

    OMG I REALLY CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS ONE XD

    I hope the leading lady would be the one who’s considered as veteran or talented actress. NO IDOLS PLEASE.

    My picks goes to :
    – Moon Chae Won
    – Han Groo
    – Sung Yu Ri
    – Shin Min Ah
    – Nam Gyu Ri

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    • or.. LEE YOO BI !! XD i want to see her act as leading lady, and it must be really cute to see them together as a couple esp since the already act together as brother-sister before

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  31. Kim Eun Sook is known to be discreet in casting offers, particularly with male leads. The fact that it was her side who let the press know about the love call she made to Song Joong Ki means that he verbally accepted the offer. I understand why SJK’s agency is trying to be safe though. I’ll wait until his agency confirmation.

    As for the female lead, I wish it will be Shin Min Ah, Ha Ji Won or Son Ye Jin. If they can act with 87’er actors, it won’t be awkward to have them paired with Song Joong Ki.. hehehe..

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  33. Since the leading lady has to look younger than the forever babyfaced Joong Ki there’s no other name that comes to y mind with the acting ability and baby faced beauty than Park Bo Young !
    They hit it big on the big screen …why not in the small screen? ( plus they were the cutest thing together in Wolfboy T_T )

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  35. I hope for Moon Chae Won… it would be a match made in heaven. Plus this is just the kind of drama Moon Chae Won would choose as a comeback. It would be different from what she did before and has the human aspect again.

    Also Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki reunion – YES PLEASE!!

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  39. YAH!!! My nice guy SJK is back. I can’t wait. Miss him so much. I’d be happy if he’s got collab with Moon Chae Won again. I love this girl in Princess’ Man and Nice Guy. Besides, she’d played a doctor role before. Not every actor/actress has ability to play in medical dramas because of extra effort to memorize all the medical terms although there may not be much reference to medical jargon in this new drama.

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